Anthony Stinson lost his 20-year-old son due to the unnecessary violence in Northeast Florida.  He was killed as many of our young people have been while they were simply visiting a family member.  How senseless.

Since that day, Anthony made a commitment to do all he could to guide and protect the children in our community.  He created the Anthony J. Stinson Jr. Association for Change in memory of his son.  His target is our youth in the most violent areas of Jacksonville, giving them a safe environment to learn, play and create a connection within the community.  He provides mentoring programs, dress for success events and field trips for these kids.

Three Grains of Rice Missions is honored to recognize Anthony with the Golden Heart Award for his amazing heart, passion and commitment to the well-being of our young people.  He also received dinner for two at Terra Gaucha Brazilian Steakhouse.

We want to thank Adrian Bayo with Terra Gaucha for providing the gift certificate.  We appreciate your support of Three Grains of Rice Missions and the Anthony J. Stinson Jr. Association for Change non-profit.

We want to show our appreciation for Dave Cerezo for his energy and passion in caring for the students in the Lifebuilders program at City Rescue Mission (CRM) by presenting him with the Heart of Gold Award.

Dave is a master electrician who had a very successful business in New York.  He relocated to Jacksonville to embrace a new calling to leverage his business and trade knowledge to mend broken hearts.  Dave has been at CRM for over eight years.  He has worked with over 150 men in the program to help build character and integrity through work experience in an environment that emulates the love and mercy of Jesus Christ.  Dave has a “can do” attitude that serves him well as he is responsible for maintaining all the CRM facilities.  He has a servant’s heart that is pure gold!

We want to thank Seasons 52 for providing Dave with a gift certificate for a dinner for two at their fabulous restaurant..

Every now and then you come across someone who is consistently active in the community.  Someone who is giving, caring and spreading love to those less fortunate without wanting or needing recognition.  They do it simply because they have a servant’s heart.  Mary Warner, or Miss Mary as she is known by the PACE girls, is certainly one of those people.

For the past 15 years, Mary has been involved with PACE School for Girls in Jacksonville, FL.  She began by helping to run the Clothes Closet for PACE:  organizing half a dozen bags of donated clothing for the students, setting donations out on tables and helping the girls make their selections.  Mary felt there could be so much more for the students, something that could feel more special to reward them for their hard work.  She reached out to her network of friends and asked for donations of gently used clothing and accessories for what is now known as Ms. Mary’s Boutique.  Each year Mary organizes six events for the students, two events for their families and a week-long prom event in May.  She happily schedules all events, organizes the many volunteers, and consults on the annual fund-raising event.  If an urgent need comes up, Mary springs into action and does whatever it takes to fill that need.

Three Grains of Rice Missions would like to say “Thank You” to Mary by presenting her with the Heart of Gold award.  We appreciate her energy and passion in caring for the needy with dignity and respect.  Mary is definitely Connecting Hearts and Changing Lives!

There are people in the world that make a substantive yet unrecognized contribution to society every day.  People whose bravery is unknown or unacknowledged as they protect and care for those in need.  David Tuttle, Founder and Executive Director of Presbyterian Social Ministries (PSM) is certainly one of those people.  Three Grains of Rice Missions honored Dave with the Heart of Gold award for having a servant’s heart.

You don’t have to be around Dave very long to experience true humbling dedication.  He is a quiet leader whose focus is to touch the lives of those in need.  Dave has created a program to bring missionaries from all over the US to work and care for the needs of our Northeast Florida population.  Dave understands that everyone deserves to be served with dignity and he works with many volunteers who wash, fold, sort, mend and distribute the clothing he collects from all over the city.   Under his leadership, PSM has expanded to provide clothing to the Philippines and Central America.  He is truly a servant of God.

We want to thank Blue Bamboo Restaurant for the donation of a gift certificate which was presented to Dave along with his award.

At Three Grains of Rice Missions we come in contact with people who give their all day in and day out to ensure those who have fallen on hard times get the help they need. It takes a special person, one with drive and passion and heart, to step up, take action, and truly make a difference in the lives of others.  While these individuals do not seek recognition or expect anything in return for what they do, we believe it is important to say “Thank You” for having a Heart of Gold.

The recipient for the Heart of Gold award for the second quarter of 2017 is Jaime Davis.  Jaime is the Manager of the New Life Inn and Emergency Services for City Rescue Mission (CRM) of Northeast Florida.

Jamie is the force behind the gateway for our homeless community at CRM. She guides and assists our broken-hearted to the services they need to get off the streets. She is a strong leader with a loving heart and an impactful wisdom. She truly embraces the love and forgiveness that comes from knowing the power of Jesus Christ and she shares that with everyone she meets.

Jaime received a gift basket full of her favorite snacks as well as a four course dinner compliments of Seasons 52 restaurant in Jacksonville, Fla.

Thank you Jaime for Connecting Hearts and Changing Lives!

Every day we have unsung heroes in our community that give their all to assure those in need are protected and cared for. Jennifer Couch, coordinator of development and volunteers for Trinity Rescue Mission in Jacksonville, Florida, is certainly one of those heroes. This quarter, we honored Jennifer with the Heart of Gold award for having a servant’s heart.

You don’t have to be around Jennifer long before you become aware of how special she really is. She has a soulful and tender spirit which becomes very clear as she cares for the brokenhearted. Jennifer shares in their joy as well as their hardship and setbacks. She has shown extraordinary leadership, outstanding organizational skills and a commitment to go the extra mile to make Trinity Rescue Mission a special place of compassion and a Christ-centered ministry.

We are grateful not only to Jennifer, but also to her husband and children who support her commitment to caring for the homeless in our community.

In addition to her award, Jennifer received a basket of goodies and a gift certificate for a four course meal at Seasons 52 restaurant. A huge thank you to Seasons 52 for their very generous donation.

Congratulations Jennifer!

I will never forget looking into the eyes of my parents and seeing the despair that comes from not knowing what tomorrow will bring — the fear of losing everything they worked so hard to achieve, the uncertainty of whether our family would still be together the next day.

Every day thousands of families and individuals wake up with the same fear and uncertainty that my family experienced in communist Cuba. They are confused, anxious, and looking for a way to transform a life of despair into one of dignity as a productive member of society. They are not looking for a handout – they are looking for a hand up.

Each and every one of us has experienced difficult times in our lives. And we relied on our safety net, our family and friends, to support us and help us through those hard times. But not everyone has been gifted such a luxury. The vision of Three Grains of Rice Missions is to create an extended family base through our organization so we can help to anchor and empower those in need. We are here not only to aid with immediate needs, but also to cultivate an atmosphere that will help prevent and mitigate the devastation of homelessness and the detrimental impact to self-dignity.

Three Grains of Rice Missions believes each and every one of us has at least “three grains of rice” we can offer to help individuals and other nonprofit organizations within our community. Whether it is to pray for someone, to listen to his or her struggles, to provide financial support or to volunteer your time, your “three grains” can have a lifelong impact. Come and join us in our mission to connect hearts and change lives!

We are a young nonprofit that hit the ground running in the last quarter of 2016. Now we are utilizing our time during the first quarter of 2017 to develop our website, identify monthly outreach projects, solidify long term projects, and create the foundation necessary to support our mission and vision.

Stay tuned to Facebook for progress reports and announcements as we launch our outreach projects and volunteer opportunities.